Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine serotonin breakdown in Cavaliers with early heart valve disease
By Christiansen, L B et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2019·Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in Cavalier King Charles spaniels with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with early signs of heart disease (myxomatous mitral valve disease) had their urine tested for a substance related to serotonin. The study found that female dogs had higher levels of this substance in their urine compared to males, regardless of the severity of their heart condition. However, the levels of this substance did not seem to be linked to how advanced the heart disease was or the amount of serotonin in their blood. This suggests that while urine tests can show differences based on sex and collection method, they may not be useful for assessing the severity of heart disease in these dogs.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart disease symptoms · myxomatous mitral valve disease treatment · dog urine test serotonin levels
Abstract
Higher concentrations of circulating serotonin have been reported in Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS) compared to other dog breeds. The CKCS is also a breed highly predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). The aim of this study was to determine urine concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the major metabolite and excretion product of serotonin, in a population of CKCS with preclinical MMVD, and to evaluate whether urine 5-HIAA concentrations were associated with MMVD severity, dog characteristics, setting for urine sampling, platelet count, and serotonin concentration in serum and platelet-poor plasma (PPP). The study population consisted of 40 privately-owned CKCS (23 females; 17 males) with and without preclinical MMVD as follows: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) group A (n = 11), ACVIM group B1 (n = 21) and ACVIM group B2 (n = 8). Urine 5-HIAA concentrations were not significantly associated with preclinical MMVD disease, platelet count or circulating concentrations of serotonin (in serum and PPP; P > 0.05). Females had higher 5-HIAA concentrations than males in morning urine collected at home (females, 3.1 [2.9-3.7] μmol/mmol creatinine [median and quartiles]; males, 1.7 [1.2-2.2] μmol/mmol creatinine; P = 0.0002) and urine collected at the clinic (females, 3.5 [3.1-3.9] μmol/mmol creatinine; males, 1.6 [1.3-2.1] μmol/mmol creatinine; P < 0.0001). Five-HIAA concentrations in urine collected at home and at the clinic were significantly associated (P = 0.0004; r = 0.73), and higher concentrations were found in urine collected at the clinic (P = 0.013). Urine 5-HIAA concentration was influenced by sex and setting of urine sampling. Urine 5-HIAA concentration was not associated with MMVD severity or circulating concentrations of serotonin in CKCS with preclinical disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31383418/